Destiny of the Chosen One
by BanterUnitedFC
Summary: Post TFUII AU. After being detained by the rebels on Kamino, Vader reflects on his actions throughout his life. Redeemed but Grey-possibly dark Anakin/Vader.
1. Chapter 1

_Disclaimer: I own nothing. Disney (unfortunately) and Lucasfilm own Star Wars._

_Blurb:_

_The Sith could not control him,_

_Destiny has chosen him,_

_Power flows through him,_

_Love has redeemed him._

**_Chapter 1_**

_Your feelings for her, they are not real!_

_THEY ARE REAL TO ME!_

The emotion behind those words seemed to echo off the metallic walls of the hallway. It was as if she was everything to him, that he loved her more than life itself. Vader had found out first hand what Eclipse truly meant to the boy. There was no mistaking the intentions of the boy as he had Vader at his mercy. Vader could swear he saw a flash of burning sulphur in his eyes. What he was absolutely certain on was that Starkiller utterly despised him. He was the personification of everything the boy loathed; he had intended to destroy the one thing boy cared about, the one thing even the dark side would not be able to rid him of, the thing he would sell his soul for. He had felt the full impact of this hatred embedded in the force lightning that had struck him, the darkest emotions that the boy had borne towards him had been channeled to the torrents of electric coils. He was unfortunate enough to be very familiar with the effects of said ability, ever since the fight with Dooku on geonosis and even Sidious had once tried to threaten him with it, but he had never managed to contemplate a manifestation of such hatred and rage. The boy's strength in the Dark arts was exponential; he had crushed the engines of a star destroyer before he was twenty. He had also stalemated the Emperor in that confrontation on the Death Star. When he first viewed the boy's midichlorian count, even before that, when he had sensed his presence in that dwelling on Kashyyyk all those those years ago that he could be as powerful as Vader himself or even surpass him. He was proud of his apprentice in a way, saddened at what happened on that space station; he had seen Starkiller as a son and felt a loss at the events that had transpired. He went the Kaminoans for a way; an answer and they gave him that answer. He thought back to the boy's training, it's brutal nature achieving everyone of his aims; but it was the speed at which the apprentice leaned that shocked was a living weapon of war; in short Vader had trained him well. And now in some twisted form of poetic justice, the training and dark emotions Vader had nurtured, if it could be called such, had been turned on him. Starkiller had no rulebook; he claimed to be a Jedi yet the unrestrained, even feral nature of his use of the force would've been a mockery of the Jedi Code. The boy's command of the combat elements of the force was incredible but unregulated, completely uncontrolled.

In short boy had become exactly he was in his youth…

He tried always tried to suppress recollections from that time, it was a different age, a different life...

_I've_ _never_ _felt_ _this_ _happy_, _this_ _content_! _I_ _question_ _how_ _I_ _existed_ _without_ _you_. _We_ _live_ _a_ _good_ _life_ _Ani_.

_The_ _Best_. I have _an_ _Angel_ _beside_ _me_.

_May_ _it_ _never_ _change_.

_And_ _may_ _it_ _never_ _change_ _us_ _Ani_.

His heart almost stopped as he remembered, Padme. His angel, the one being in the entire galaxy that he had loved more than life itself. The cruel and crushing irony of that recollection hit him withe full force. It had changed them, destroyed them. The burden of secrecy and the mistrust than naturally derives from it. Hate and jealously were both close relatives of love. The weight of mistrust and secrecy was the first domino, opening an entire Pandora's box of evil. If only he had trusted Padme, even Obi-Wan, maybe...just maybe... Usually his scorn fell upon those dwell on the past, lost in it; he had never before weeped or wondered what could have been, yet in this instance he could not help but feel the pain of regret searing inside his heart. She was his life, when she died there was nothing for him to live for. He functioned, existed but his soul had choked with his beloved angel, he had never been truly alive _Perhaps that was always Sidious' intention, to destroy essence, motivation; to keep me subservient, _he thought bitterly. Hatred he had never known before surged through him. Much of it was directed at himself. How could he have been so reckless, obtuse, naive? As a Jedi he had trusted and befriended Sidious, as a Sith hated and betrayed him. However only now did he see the truth about his so-called 'master'. The man had brought down a system that had stood for millennia, persuaded he the Senate to vote for their own doom and indoctrinated the Galaxy to rejoice at it's own slavery. He had truly lived to to his Sith title, his true talent was not his strength in the Force, strong as he was, but in his insidious and deceptive facade whether it be empty flattery, deceptive manipulation or even oxymoronically exposing his true, vile nature. In many reflective moments inside his hyperbaric chamber or at Bast Castle, he'd realised that he was just another one of the emperor's puppets, the man did not know empathy, he saw people as tools to be used for his own benefit. The Senate, the Moffs, the Jedi, Vader himself and Padme...even Padme...

_Lord Vader, can you hear me?_

_Yes. Where is Padme? Is she safe? ... Is she all right?_

_It seems that in our anger, you killed her Lord Vader._

_I couldn't have, I felt her… She's alive..._

_(the room is telekinectically ripped apart and Sidious clutches his neck in desperation against an iron grip)_

The man had lied to him, betrayed him, and turned him into nothing more than a machine. But it had been him. He choked her. He killed her. Pain, guilt and sorrow buried for almost twenty years began to emerge from his shattered soul. As these emotions began to overtake him, he was once again plunged back to that nightmarish day on Mustafar.

_Anakin, all I want is your love. _

_Love won't save you, Padme. Only my new powers can do that. _

_At what cost? You are a good person. Don't do this. _

_I won't lose you the way I lost my mother! I've become more powerful than any Jedi has ever dreamed of and I've done it for you. To protect you. _

_What have I done?! _Not just to Padme, but to everyone who ever cared about him. The faces of the younglings, a picture of terror as he had struck them down, the same way he had killed the Tuskens, like animals. Ever since that day he had known that he could not fully control his own inner darkness, the dragon within him. Yet he blindly ignored his own faults and berated Obi Wan for trying to offer him guidance. That was the sole reason why Obi Wan had lectured him, the sole reason the council had declined him mastery, powerful as he was. He would not acknowledge his own faults nor accept criticism. He finally realised why Obi Wan thought he had failed him, he believed he had failed to teach Anakin self-control, discipline; nor was he the right person, barely a knight after losing his master only days ago and immediately having the responsibility of another thrust upon him. Vader sighed. For the first time in his life he truly empathised with his old master. His experiences with Ahsoka and Starkiller no doubt helped him, but it was his regeet of the past and admission of his own flaws that truly gained him perspective. If only he could have a second chance, undeserving as he was, to correct his mistakes and help the galaxy. _It's_ _far_ _too_ _late_ for _me_ _now_ _and_ _I'll_ _have_ _to_ _live_ _with_ _my_ _actions_ _until_ _the_ _end_ _of_ _my_ _days_, _a_ _fitting_ _punishment_. _If_ _only_ _I_ _had_ _a_ _second_ _chance_. _if_ _only_...

As he thought those thoughts, he felt all the hatred, the anger and the sorrow flowing out of his presence as for the first time the Chosen One released his emotions into the Force either an air of resignation. He had been through a lifetime's worth of emotional turmoil in the space of a few hours. He was drained, exhausted and he felt empty for a moment before noticing a soothing presence that he had not felt in almost twenty years.

"I knew there was still good in you."

"Padme?!"

Please review if you have the time, I really appreciate your feedback.


	2. Chapter 2

**Author Note: A lot sooner than I expected. But I have spare time on my hands, so here's the next Chapter. Enjoy!**

Chapter 2: Return of the Chosen One

The mask of Vader did nothing to hide the cyclone of conflicting emotions radiating off him as he gazed at Padme's translucent shimmering form. In death, seemingly one with the force, she looked more beautiful than ever. Beneath the dark, oppressive mask, tears began to form in his electric blue eyes. How could she believe there was good in him after all he had done? How could she even bear to look at him? Then came the thought that felt more agonizing than even Starkiller's force lightning, how could she still love him? What could he say to her, that he was sorry, to beg for forgiveness. The words that escaped his mouth were instead a picture of complete shock.

"How is this possible?"

"There is no death, only the force." came the reply. "My grave is empty, my body faded into the force, I couldn't just slip away. I needed something. I needed you, Ani."

At those words, he broke down completely.

"Ho…How can you even bear to look at me?" anguish clear in his voice.

"Padme…I'm so…I'm so sorry, for everything"

Padme tried in vain to choke back her tears. He reached out her hand to touch his mask. What had he become? What had the Dark Side twisted her Ani into? Reaching into the depths of his mind, she saw everything.

_It's over, Anakin. I have the high ground. _

_You underestimate my power! _

_Don't try it. _

_I hate you! _

_You were my brother, Anakin. I loved you. _

_Where is Padme? Is she safe? ... Is she all right?_

_It seems that in our anger, you killed her Lord Vader._

_I couldn't have, I felt her… NOOOOOOO!_

Her heart threatened to burst. The politician in her had been extremely skeptical about Anakin. The Jedi had told her that very few had come back from the darkness. She became very angry with herself, how could she ever doubt his love for her? The more she thought, the more her loathing became directed at the suffocating darkness that held don the galaxy, Palpatine. The man who had claimed to be her friend, the man who had destroyed the democracy she had fought so hard for, the man who took her husband from her…

_No, _she thought. _I will never allow that name to poison my life again, to take Ani away from me again._ With tears forming in her eyes as she turned back towards the man ho she had pledged herself to, he engulfed him in a loving embrace.

"Oh Ani…I've seen everything, everything that monster did to you."

"Ho…how can you still love me, Padme, how?" his voice was filled with remorse.

"Don't you dare doubt my love for you? You don't need my forgiveness."

"But I cho…choked you, how could you not loathe me for that."

'It wasn't you, the real you…the man I married all those years ago."

Tears of happiness flowed from them both. For just a moment, everything was forgotten. The Empire, the rebellion, the entire Galaxy, none of it mattered anymore. Afer two decades of tragedy and anguish they were finally reunited. Their reunion was more than a candle to hold the darkness back, their love really could ignite the stars.

Anakin pulled from the embrace. The calculating, logical mind of Darth Vader, the only aspect of him that Anakin was glad not to lose, was assessing the situation. He was still in chains, his hands bound by force restraints. Whatever the rebels planned for him, he wanted no part of it. He turned to his wife, who had suddenly become not Padme Skywalker but Queen Amidala once more. She appeared to be thinking as he had. He needed to escape and fast.

"Padme, help me remove these force restraints."

A second later the restraints were telekinetically crushed and he felt the power of the force coursing through his veins once more. Suddenly the rest of his bounds and many other objects in the room were disintegrated by a powerful force repulse. Before the alarm could sound, the hangar doors was crushed and tossed aside.

"Ani…where will you go?"

"Don't worry my Angel, I have a plan."

"You, a plan? Should I be worried?", they both laughed at this. To Anakin, it felt good, the first time he had laughed in almost twenty years…

Behind the now intensely claustrophobic mask he smiled as his angel faded back into the force.

He knew exactly where he needed to go.

**There you go, another Chapter! Anyway, more on Padme's force sensitivity will be revealed later. But for now, how should Anakin escape. Steam-rolling a hundred rebel grunts or climbing through an air duct and anything plausible in between. Please leave your suggestions in the reviews. Till next time!**


	3. Chapter 3

**Author Note: Another weekly update! I must be on a roll; either that or I've forgotten something really important. Anyway, here's the next chapter.**

_Lord Vader, the specimens is developing very well._

_Good, the clones are not the only reason for my presence._

_Lord Vader?_

_Prime minister, your people have advanced stem-cell research greatly since the Clone Wars, have you not?_

_Yes, of course._

_Your research into organ and tissue regeneration is particularly advanced._

_You wish to undergo an operation?_

_Yes._

_We will have to retrieve some of your cells and grow them into stem cells._

_When can you do this?_

_Right now if that is your wish._

_Good._

Anakin had passed through several corridors already. He needed to reach the hover train network as soon as possible. He had already had the misfortune of running into several Rebel patrols. They had only delayed him but he knew every second counted. He could not defeat both Kota and Starkiller at once. A shiver went through him as he remembered the lightning arcing through him into the earth. He suddenly felt a tinge of guilt at having to kill those rebels, Vader wouldn't have had a second thought but he was not Vader._ It had to be done, _he sighed; they would never have believed him anyways and the last thing he needed right was a huge force massing on him. The door was crushed and thrown aside revealing the hover train network. _This brings back a flood of memories, _he thought. _Obi-Wan, where is he now? Ahsoka, is she even alive anymore?_

_You were my brother, Anakin! I loved you!_

He forced back the tears starting to form. Now was not the time. The rebels were getting closer; he had to reach the hangar in time. Summoning the force, he leapt onto the nearest train.

A tempest of emotions was raging inside Starkiller as he the alarm roared all around the ship. _Kota was wrong, that monster was too dangerous to be kept alive. I knew this would happen. I can't allow Vader loose anywhere near Juno. _He shiveredrecounting the events on Kamino.

_You will give yourself to the dark side; if you refuse the woman dies._

_You will find and kill Master Kota; if you fail she dies…_

_As long as she lives, I will always control you._

_Juno is all that matters, I have to help Juno, to save her, _he thought, _I'll go to the depths of Sith hell for her, I can't lose her…I will make sure Vader can never hurt her again! _He headed towards the control room as quickly as possible. Vader could not be allowed to escape. A relived Kota and the rest of the rebel leadership greeted him as he entered the bridge.

"Thank the force! We thought you'd been caught up in this situation!"

"Where is he?"

Jedi master Rahm Kota was initially startled by the coldness of his tone. He quickly dispelled these feelings. _Of all of us, he is the one Vader hurt the most, _he thought.

"Most of the holo feeds are down, last thing we saw, he was heading through corridor 3 before turning right to corridor 8."

"Show me the schematics, where is he going?"

A holo map of the inside of the ship appeared, Starkiller and Kota studied Vader's last known location closely.

"It heads towards the hover train network, which means…"

"he's making for the hangar!" Starkiller finished.

"Emergency! All rebel forces to rendezvous near the hover train network and hangar 4! I repeat Vader is heading towards hangar 4!"

He sensed a large contingent nearing his location. _Blast, _he thought. _They've found me._ It had been easy so far; he'd been surprised. His luck usually ran out way before this. _Trouble always stuck to you like a magnet, _Padme's voice whispered in his mind. There was bound to be a huge rebel force waiting for him at the hangar. Under Vader's mask he allowed himself to smirk. It was no doubt a trap; the force behind him was to funnel him right into the ambush. He and Obi-wan always had a policy on traps.

_Master, it must be a trap._

_Remember our policy?_

_Spring the Trap! _

Suddenly, the force gave enough warning for him to barely dodge a laser bolt. He looked around and found himself facing an X4 Gunship. It was heavily armed with two forward mounted guns, three dorsal mounted turrets and three mounted turrets on its ventral surface. It also carried the heavy shields and armor typical of gunships, along with the relatively slow speeds and maneuvering. He could use this detriment in speed to his advantage. Waiting for the right moment, suddenly he leapt onto the hull cutting an entry using his lightsaber, throwing the pilot form his cockpit and then turning the ship round, wreaking havoc upon the rebel ground troops close behind. Then with a very powerful force repulse, the gunship was effectively disintegrated. Falling through the air, Anakin proceeded to unleash a powerful force push upon the debris, which slammed into the remains of the rebel force, ripping several speeders to shreds and further delaying their progress. Controlling his descent, he landed back upon the hover train; all in one graceful sequence. The hover train was picking up speed, the wind was blowing upon his mask and his cape, he was nearing his destination. _This is the happiest I've felt in a long time, _he thought. _My angel has come back to me and I'm no longer a slave to the dark side. I feel like the chosen one again…_

The sounding of the siren interrupted his train of thought.

"You have reached hangar 4."

"Mind the Gap! Mind the Gap!"

"If only the gap was my biggest problem," he thought aloud, smirking.

The hangar down opened to reveal large contingent of rebel troops. _Just another day at the office, _he thought as he ignited his saber.

**There you go! You're probably annoyed at the cliffhanger but depending on the circumstances I may be able to write and upload the next chapter as soon as tomorrow. Anyway, please leave a review if you can, I appreciate all feedback even if it's negative; you need some constructive criticism to improve.**


	4. Chapter 4

The hangar door was slowly beginning to close. _Rancor Shit! I don't have much time, _he thought. The rebel force was numerous, including some of Kota's finest soldiers, all veterans of the Clone wars. A squad of troops carrying stun batons immediately charged him. Under the mask, he smiled. _These clowns still want to take me alive_, he deduced. There was a ray shield about 500m north of his position blocking him off the rest off the hangar. The two reactors powering the shield were own the opposite sides of the room. _Great, there's always a massive rebel force between the objective and me, _he complained. _If I'm the chosen one, it's definitely not for luck. _Impossibly fast he charged at the stun baton carrying troops. Their only hope was in faith in numbers; their only advantage was the fact that it was 20 on 1. Within seconds, the rebels had already sustained 2 casualties, the next another two. Anakin was not only a master but also the master of Djem So, the aggressive Form V encouraged practitioners to actively attempt to dominate their foes, relying on overwhelming kinetic power and speed. He briefly recalled the fight with Dooku; even then the old man just wasn't able to keep up with him. The latter stages of the duel were not a matter of if but when Anakin would triumph. If there was one part of the damn breather suit that he anywhere near grateful, it was the brute strength it gave him. It augmented his style perfectly; his prosthetic limbs struck with almost industrial force, every b low could be a killing blow. Slamming his lightsaberdown upon the enemy's head, the blade cut straight through his stun baton and helmet, almost cleaving his head in two. Stunned, the remains of this squad, only 5 men, ran for their lives as Anakin advanced nearer to the reactor. Suddenly a large group of militia elites and several auto turrets appeared seemingly form nowhere. Deflecting their bolts with minimal effort, Anakin's face contorted into a sneer.

"I'm tired of these games." The mechanical voice of Vader declared.

At that moment he dashed impossibly fast into the middle of the group, suddenly unleashing a massive force repulse, incinerating half of them. Seeing that that the hangar doors were continuing to close, he advanced relentlessly, cutting down anything that stood in his way, leaving a trail of the dead the closer he got to the first reactor. Breaking into a run, he force pushed away whatever remained of the enemy, before severing the cable and telekinetically crushing the reactor.

"One down, one to go" he thought aloud.

Racing as fast as the force would allow him too, ripping apart any opposition in this wake, he looked to see the massive durasteel hangar down was almost a quarter of the way to closing. _Shit, I might never get off this piece of junk, _he thought to himself. At last he reached the second reactor. Utilizing force crush once again, he was pleased to see the ray shield flicker out permanently.

Starkiller pushed the speed of the hover train to its limits. The worst possible had happened. Vader had managed to destroy the ray shield. He would not be allowed to escape. If that happened, all the lives lost on Timira City would be for nothing. Next to him, Juno wore a solemn expression upon her face. She had insisted that she go with him, arguing that her skills as a pilot would allow them to pursue Vader into space, but in reality she was worried for Starkiller. She had witnessed him almost fall on Kamino; if it had not been for her attempted lunge at Vader, Starkiller would've been a slave to the Dark side once more. She was determined for it not to happen again.

"Why can't this damn thing go any faster?" Starkiller growled.

"Don't worry we'll make, we can't let those our men's sacrifices be in vain"

"You all of people should understand, Vader can't escape."

"He won't, just have some patience."

"This thing is too slow!"

"You could use force lightning to supercharge the power cell!"

An instant later, they were travelling at almost twice their original speed. Soon enough the train screeched to a halt and they were horrified at the sight that was revealed to them. An entire battalion, at the very least, had been completely destroyed. The mangled bodies of some of the dead were strewn across the ground.

"I've never seen such efficiency in killing…" Juno's voice was barely a whisper.

"Come on, we can mourn them later, we can't waste our time."

With that the two of them ran as fast they could to the hangar.

Anakin pushed back his guilt over the massacre. _It had to be done, there was no other way, _he reassured himself. He could ponder over it later, right now needed to find a ship and get out of here. Many of the X-wings and Y-wings had been damaged in the battle, so when he found a functioning ship he ran towards the cockpit as fast as his prosthetic legs would carry him. There was no astromech but he didn't need one, he was the best pilot in the entire galaxy. The memory of the invisible hand came back to him, how he'd managed that even to this day he didn't know. _There's no point pondering on the past, _his logical side reminded him. He needed to prep the ship for take off immediately. As he was climbing the steps up to the cockpit, he was stopped by an enraged snarl:

"VADER!"

Turning around, he was confronted by an enraged Starkiller and Juno Eclipse following not far behind. Barely able to think, he reflexively raised his weapon just in to stop his head being sliced in half. With great difficulty, he managed to win the saber lock and drive the angry Starkiller back. The boy attempted another charge, inadvertently exposing his mid-section. Seizing this opportunity, Anakin lashed out with a vicious push, driving Starkiller back a great distance. However he knew that in his current state, with rebel reinforcements on the way, he could never win. _He's going to really hate me for this, _Anakin sighed as membered Dooku's escape from Geonosis. Pushing Juno onto the ground. He gripped a damaged Y-wing and threw it at Juno. As expected, Starkiller's attention was immediately moved to her, allowing Anakin to climb into the cockpit. _The boy is strong in the force, I need to be quick, _he thought. Quickly typing in co-ordinates for Topica City, Kamino, the engines roared and the X-wing started to move. Increasing the speed dramatically, within 5 seconds he found himself out in space, the rebel frigate becoming increasingly small. Relief flooded into him, _I did it, _he thought, _I did it. _

He immediately typed in the communications frequency of Topica City, Kamino. He needed to know whether the stem cells were ready, they had not informed him of the whereabouts of the sample. It could easily have been contaminated all damaged during the battle, potentially delaying the operation for a long time. Then a holographic image of Lama Su appeared before him.

"Lord Vader, it is a pleasure."

"There is no need for pleasantries prime minster, you know my purpose."

"Of course."

"What of my samples?"

"I have good news my lord, we moved them to Topica just before the battle, they are completely undamaged."

"That is good to hear, what of their status?"

"They are ready, my lord."

"Good, be sure to expect my arrival four hours from now."

"Yes, my lord", Lama Su replied before the transmission flickered out.

_Everything's going well, according to plan_ he assured himself. In the meantime he had 4 hours until he landed. Engaging the autopilot, he decided to meditate. He smirked as he recounted the numerous times Obi-wan had tried to encourage him to practise; it had never been one of his strong points. He recalled a conversation during the Clone Wars.

_Anakin, meditation might help you._

_Master, please._

_Anakin._

_Come on Obi-wan, the "Hero with no Fear", meditating those things don't mix. It's a fact of life._

_I can't deny that._

_First time for everything, _he thought as he released his emotions into the force and allowed to calm him for the first time in 20 years. Soon enough, he entered a force trance; he certainly did have a lot to reflect on.

Meanwhile…

Starkiller first thought had instinctively been Juno. Vader had taken him by surprise He'd barely been able to stop the ship from crushing the woman he loved. Once he saw that Juno was okay, slightly concussed from being force pushed but still ok, his attention turned to Vader and he only felt his loathing of his former master grow. He'd had the audacity to try and hurt Juno again. _Again, _he spat. He knew full well the danger of these dark emotions and made a promise to and Juno himself never to fall but he could not help feel hatred towards Vader. Since the battle of Kamino, he had been making steady progress interpreting Marek's memories and it disgusted him how Vader killed Marek's father right in front of him when he was only a boy. Not only that, he empathized when he saw the loveless conditions of Marek's childhood, not only that but also how Vader never saw Marek as a person but as a weapon, a living a tool. Suddenly another memory came into his conscious mind. He saw Juno talking to him, no Marek.

_They're gone... Vader took them all... to the Emperor. _

_I don't understand. Then why would Vader allow us to attack so many Imperial targets? _

_To sell the deception. Credits, starships, Imperial lives-they're all meaningless to Vader. Vader needed me to find the Emperor's enemies, no matter the cost. And I did just what he wanted..._

The more he remembered, the more he found himself despising Vader. That man was truly evil, Marek had trusted and he had sold hi out to the emperor without hesitation. He shuddered as he recalled an earlier memory.

_You have forgotten your place, Lord Vader. By taking this boy as your apprentice, you have betrayed me. Now, you will kill him, or I will destroy you both. _

_Master... we can defeat him together... _

_Do it now, Lord Vader! Strike him down and prove your loyalty to me! [Darth Vader uses the Force to easily toss Galen's body across the room, slamming him violently into the wall.]_

_I have to destroy him and the Emperor, _he thought. _The Sith deserve to die for what they've done._

Anakin wondered through the mists of the force. He had plenty of time to reflect and the things he did as Vader sickened. He had betrayed everyone who trusted, who had had faith in him. Padme, Galen, Obi-wan, the younglings. He shuddered as recalled what happened on the worst day of his life. The very fact that Padme had been pregnant with his own offspring had spilled his regret over boiling point.

_Master Skywalker, there's too many of them, what are we going to do?_

He went into depression as he recalled the events of that day. He remembered he'd helped teach some of them, he'd smuggled them sweets under the noses of the council. They had looked up to him, seen him as a hero, a roll-model, the perfect Jedi. _Some hero I turned out to be, he muttered to himself. _He then proceeded to enter a new part of the force and found himself in Naboo's lake country. He finally allowed himself to smile as he remembered the best days of his life here with Padme.

"They were the best moments of our lives, Ani."

"How did you continue to love me after all these years, I did terrible things, I killed younglings…"

"You don't need anyone's forgiveness, it wasn't you; it was Vader."

"I am Vader…"

"No your you're not, you're Anakin Skywalker the man I fell in love with and you always will be."

For the first time in two decades, their lips met in a passionate kiss. All other things were forgotten, all responsibilities, all pressures, they were complete.


	5. Chapter 5

"Our child, Angel. Did it…survive?"

"We…we had twins, Ani", tears forming in her eyes.

"Twins?!"

"Luke and Leia…" the tears were dripping down her face.

"Where are they? Are they safe, are they all right?"

"They're alive Ani, I don't know anything else… I…I died after naming them."

"You didn't kill me Ani, I died of a broken heart, I'm should've held on for them. I'm such a bad mother."

"I'm going to get my injuries repaired Padme, I want you to be there with me, then we'll find them. I promise".

"I sense I'm nearing Kamino, please be there with me."

"You never had to ask Ani."

Snapping out of his force trance, he turned the autopilot off and guided the X-wing to Tipoca City's landing pad. Any questions from the local garrison, made up of the 501st, quickly halted once they had heard his access codes. Seeing the landing pad in full view from his cockpit, the four side cannons that gave the fighter its name came together at either side and not soon after, the landing gear was deployed. _Nice weather as always,_ he glanced at the thunderstorms that always raged cross the planet. Getting out of the ship he saw Lama Su along with a detachment of Torrent Company waiting to greet him. _Torrent Company, how suitable_, remembering the unit that had served him so faithfully during the Clone Wars and looking at the weather.

"Lord Vader, I am glad to see you've made it."

"It is good to see you too Prime Minister."

"Thank you my lord. I have other duties to carry out, Commander Rex will show you around if you don't mind."

"Very well, lead the way Commander."

He then proceeded through to the operating theatre leaving a confused Lama Su in his wake. _Since when did Vader compliment anybody, when was Vader in a good mood, _he thought. The Sith Lord was the very image of death and destruction, of evil. The thought of Vader ever knowing happiness and gratitude was as absurd as the idea of Tatooine freezing over. Shaking his head, he realized he could not contain his curiosity; he needed to see Vader once the surgery was complete.

Anakin followed Rex through the various corridors of Tipoca City. He remembered the very first time he had been here. All of the clones, even children had participated in it's defence. They'd ensured the Separatists did not get the Fett DNA sample. _We were all fighting for noble causes then, _he sighed. He remembered Cody, Echo and Fives fighting in these very corridors. Then there was Rex, Anakin recalled he had been injured at the time of Order 66, hence the reason why Appo had lead the 501st into the temple. He shuddered at the memory as Rex lead him down the corridor.

"You're thinking of defecting, aren't you Rex?"

Rex immediately seized up. _So this is how I die, another of Vader's victims,_ he thought. He prepared for the invisible grip upon his throat. He knew the Sith Lord was head of the emperor's police state. Order 66, the information Fives had died for finding out was where it had all begun.

The things that his comrades had done during the Jedi Purge had disgusted him immensely. Although he served in "Vader's Fist", he despised the Empire secretly and had thoughts of defection.

"You need not fear. Don't you recognize the man who you served with on countless occasions?"

"General?!"

"It is true, you are welcome to watch the operation if you so wish."

Rex was stunned. A thousand questions were running through his head. _Was General Skywalker really Darth Vader?_ _Why did he show mercy? Why did he need the operation? _Rex's curiosity was biting at him; he had to take Vader's offer. The rest of the journey was filled with silence as Rex contemplated what only a day earlier, he would've believed unimaginable. He needed to get answers.

Anakin had waited for this for long time. He would be whole again. He had effectively been a slave all his life, first to Gurdulla, then Watto and lastly Palpatine. The very name of the Sidious left a bad taste in his mouth. The man was effectively evil incarnate. He recalled Darth Plagueis had once described him as "_heartless, ambitious, arrogant, insidious, and without shame or empathy." _There were rumors among the remains of the Jedi that he was the living embodiment of the dark side of the Force. Palpatine himself had certainly thought of himself in that way. Palpatine could never learn to love. He saw it as a weakness that had to be crushed; he didn't regard others as people, as equals but as tools. His apprentices especially so, when a new, seemingly better one, comes along, throw out the old one. From hindsight, Anakin saw this more clearly than reflection on a mirror. Palpatine had betrayed Dooku on the Invisible Hand just like he had betrayed him on the Death Star. He could still remember Sidious' sick voice to Marek in his head.

"_Yes, yes. Kill him, he was weak."_

_What an irony then,_ he thought. Those very words had driven Vader to Kamino to clone Marek and those words had indirectly caused him to find the technology that would heal him. Refusing to let any more thoughts about the man creep into his head, he listened intently to the briefings from the doctor.

"The procedure will take roughly 5 hours my Lord. From our scans your injuries are very extensive and it will take time for the stem-cells to fully regenerate the damaged tissue."

"You will then need to be immersed within bacta for another 7 hours in order to allow your body to get used to its new state."

"I understand. Can we begin now?"

"Of course."

Anakin realized that not even the Son of Mortis, the personification of the power of the dark side, could match his evil or treachery. The Son was capable of love; the Father had said that there was good in him. This train of thought brought his children right back into Anakin's mind. _Twins, Luke and Leia, _he thought, _the news was better than I had ever hoped. _Then it struck him. _Leia, my daughter, _he thought. _The only Leia I know of is…it couldn't be. Padme said she didn't know where they were. Could it be possible?_ He immediately tried to recall the Princess' face from his memory. She had only been present at the rebel conference in the mountains of Corellia via hologram through PROXY. _Come on Skywalker, you have to remember,_ he urged himself. A memory began to form in his head of the ambushing of the rebel leaders. At the time, he hadn't given her a second glance but looking back from hindsight, he was amazed. _She looks just like Padme, the chocolate brown eyes…I need to do some research into her background, _he thought. He had to tell Padme of this revelation. They had finally gotten a lead on their daughter. _One day we might be together again, even if only in spirit. _He quickly snapped back into reality,his daughter saw him as the enemy and he had no idea where his son was. He immediately reminded himself the reason he was on Kamino. _I need to do one thing at a time._

Padme manifested herself within the operating theatre and even though she had, from his memories, seen what had happened to her husband, it did not make it easier in the slightest to gaze upon his scarred face. The procedure involved planting his pre-prepared genetically manipulated stem cells onto his damaged body parts and using computer technology to use them to begin regeneration back to the body's natural state. With Anakin, his injuries from Mustafar had been so severe that huge quantities of stem cells had been required. This was especially true as complete regrowth and regeneration of all his limbs needed to be done. Even in death, Padme Skywalker had not found anything remotely close to peace over the last 18 years. From within the netherworld of the Force, she had watched the Empire crush everything that she stood for. Freedom, democracy, liberty were washed away before her eyes. As the Empire grew stronger, the Senate became nothing but a shadow of it's former self and the suffocating shroud of the dark side advanced relentlessly. _What an irony. It was the senate that handed Palpatine the keys to the Galaxy. How could we have all been so blind?_ The only thing that was even worse than to see the destruction of all the values she held so dear was the dark side twisting the love of her life into a monster. Her heart had clenched as she watched her Ani, consumed by the dark side, commit almost unforgiveable atrocities. She had wept at the enslavement of Kashyyyk and despaired at the genocide of Callos. Over the past 18 years, nights that she was not haunted by the fall of her husband had been few and far between. She had often blamed herself, wondering, despairing over whether she could have done anything. _If only I had taken his dreams seriously, if only I'd gone to Obi Wan for help. _The fact that she had no idea what had happened to her children was adding salt to an already exposed wound. _I'm such a bad mother; I should be there with them. I'm nothing but weak for dying when they needed me most. Oh, Ani. Why did it have to be like this_? Tears were soon trickling down her face and she found that she just could not bear to watch anymore. She decided it would be best for her not to worry, as the she knew the doctors would successful.

Almost four hours had passed before Padme appeared within the operating theatre again. This time she did nothing to stop the flow of her tears as she saw the face of the man she loved take shape. _He looks just like he did 18 years ago, on that fateful day, _she thought. A flood of memories flooded her mind as she remembered every moment of their forbidden love. Tears of joy were now freely flowing down her face as she watched with elation that her Ani was becoming whole again. When she had sensed the carefully hidden shift in the force, concentrating and finding that under a thickly shielded shroud of darkness remerged to a shining light, she had dared to hope. As she focused nearer to the source she found a sea of emotions, regret, despair and repentance. She had not felt true joy for so long that she had almost forgotten the feeling but when she saw the love of her life emerge from the shell of Vader the first time in 18 years, her shields collapsed and her emotions poured out like water cascading from the falls back on Naboo. It was impossible to put the elation and love in heart as she kissed Anakin once again_. I'm back in his arms and I already can't imagine life without him. Love can truly ignite the stars. _He suddenly heard voices and turned her head back to the operating table. One of the surgeons had been speaking on his comm.

"We've completed the procedure, he's alive."

"Good, what now?"

"Everything went according to plan, we'll put him in bacta shortly."

"Very well, you have authorization to proceed."

"Thank you. One more thing, Lord Vader seems to be extraordinarily strong and his condition is improving by the second. I think he only needs half the usual time in bacta."

"Are you sure?"

"Certain, his body mass had increased by 40% during the procedure."

"That is extraordinary! You're right, put him in for 3 and a half hours then."

"Thank you, we're going there now."

Rex had been amazed when he saw the face of his commanding officer and longtime friend emerge from the mask of Vader. He'd always seen the Dark Lord as an enigma but only now did he truly realize how little he had known. The true extent of General Skywalker's injuries was what really shocked him. He'd always known that Vader was confined to the suit because he had been wounded but he could not have imagined the truth behind the mask. He would never forget the scarred and burnt face that had bore witness to but any doubt of Vader's true identity was erased when he saw the piercing, electric blue eyes that could gaze right through a person. In those eyes he saw regret, pain, remorse but also a newfound determination and the strength of character had saved their lives many times during the Clone Wars. However one question still burned a hole through Rex's mind. _How in Force's name could someone who did so much good be capable of such monstrosity? _Rex remembered how Anakin had been determined to help the T'wileks of Ryloth but also how Vader had heartlessly slaughtered and enslaved the Wookies of Kashyyyk. _He is truly an enigma to me, I cannot understand. _Pondering, Rex found that the experience had left him with more questions than answers.

"Commander?"

"Yes?"

"The procedure was successful, he's being placed in bacta now. Would you like to see him?"

"Of…of course. Lead the way Doctor."

The bacta treatment proceeded uneventfully. In spite of seeing his medical report, the doctors were nevertheless astonished to see him. Not only did he seem to be recovering at almost twice the normal rate, shock reverberated throughout Tipoca City as his face had once again taken it's natural shape. Many had remembered the face of Anakin Skywalker, Hero with No Fear. Indeed he had saved many of their lives during the First battle of Kamino during the Clone Wars. Never could they have imagined that he was the man behind the mask. After 3 and a half hours had past, a unanimous decision to bring the procedure to a conclusion and to wake the patient.

"Lord Vader, can you hear me?"

Anakin was dazed and confused. _What happened? Where am I? _Then the memories poured back into his head. _I remember now, I'm on Kamino. _He placed a hand up to touch the top of his head. He felt hair. Long, scruffy hair just like he had almost two decades ago. He felt joy and elation. _It worked! It actually worked! I'm whole again._ Suddenly he heard a voice calling out to him:

"Lord Vader, can you hear me?"

Instantly snapping back to reality, he replied:

"Yes, am I healed?"

"Yes, my Lord. Everything went according to plan."

"What happens now?"

"The prime minister will give a full report in 2 hours time. We don't usually allow patients out of their beds after surgery but your recovery has been beyond belief so we'll make an exception this time."

"Thank you, I'll see you in two hours then."

With that, the Physician nodded and left the room. Anakin slowly got out of bed and stood on his own feet for the first time in 18 years. Immediately a cascade of activity hit his senses. The sounds, smells and sights of Tipoca City almost overwhelmed. He had spent so long seeing, breathing, living under the mask that he had almost forgotten what it was like to feel human again. _I suppose that's what Sidious always wanted. Mustafar had gone even better than he had hoped. He had a cold, unfeeling apprentice that had nothing to live for but to do his bidding. That's why he never healed me, to keep me below him. He is going to find out that treachery is the way of the Sith all right. _He realized that in those moments of anger, he had come close to telekinetically damaging the room without even knowing it. _I must be more careful with my newly rediscovered emotions; just the thought of Sidious enrages me. _ Trying to rekindle his good mood, he found joy and elation once more as he walked up to the mirror. The stem cells had done their job well; all his injuries had been repaired. Even his right hand, long since cut off, had been restored. For the first time in his life he felt untainted happiness. This time nothing was to steal it from him, at last he felt at peace. Suddenly he sensed a soothing presence close to him, turning around he saw the shimmering form of his angel smiling.

"Ani, I don't know what to say. I saw you in bacta but this…"

"I'm healed Angel. At last we can be together…if only in spirit."

"It's so frustrating Ani, to be so close to you yet unable to hold you."

Instinctively, Padme went to wrap her arms around her husband but what happened next truly shocked her. She found that physically she could feel her husband's skin and smell his scent. Both their faces wore the exact same expression.

"Padme, you're…you're holding me. You're actually holding me."

"I know, how is this possible?"

"You must be alive again, what in the name of the Force?"

"Maybe our love brought me back. It killed me, so maybe it can bring me back."

"Whatever the case Angel, this was much more than I could ever have hoped for.

They then shared a deeply passionate kiss that lasted an age. They had so much time to make up for. They did notice the shocked crowd that had witnessed the event.

Rex and Lama Su both shared an expression of complete surprise. The woman that Lord Vader was kissing, she looked like…it could not possibly be…she was dead; the galaxy saw her funeral. But neither of could deny the identity of the woman before there eyes. She had not aged a single day since those fateful events 18 years ago. There had always been rumors about her involvement with the Hero with No Fear on the Holonet but no one had made anything of them aside from mere gossip. To Rex, the day had completely defied common sense from it's beginning to the present. If anyone had told him of these events even the day before, he would have dismissed their words as fantasy but after seeing them take place it had shocked his entire world. After the initial surprise from everyone at suddenly seeing a supposedly dead Senator appearing at Lord Vader's side, most of the medical report and debriefing went by uneventfully. Anakin had been disappointed to hear that although his Lungs were fully functional, it would take them some time to adapt to his new condition after years of being unable to breathe at all. It was recommended he wear the breather for suit at least 2 hours per day for a month before his lungs could work at maximum capacity again. After the debriefing had ended, Anakin turned to Rex.

"Rex, Cody, Boil where are they now? I need to know."

*Sigh* "Defected last month. The guilt over General Kenobi and Imperial did that to them. Years of it just accumulated. Many of them fought alongside the Wookies during the Clone Wars. The enslavement of Kashyyyk was the catalyst."

"How many?"

"The 212th."

"Rex, I know you share similar thoughts but do the 501st support you?"

"Yes, many of them hoped that missions would fail."

"Good, my eventual plan is to join forces with the Rebels to bring the Emperor down and restore the Republic."

"The 501st will stand by you sir."

"That's not enough. I cannot stay here for forever. Tell me how many likeminded Commanders and Admirals share likeminded thoughts."

"A lot of them feel they're fighting for the wrong side. It's an open secret that Kuat Drive Yards are covertly supporting the Rebellion. We may be able to persuade others to join us."

"My time here is short, can I count on you?"

"Torrent Company would follow to you to hell sir. Democracy must be restored."

"Thank you Rex. Please inform me of the status of your efforts."

"Yes sir."

"Ani, what do we do now?"

"Rex will stay here and organize support but we need to find our children."

"The galaxy is huge, how will find we them?"

"I have a potential lead on our daughter but I feel the force is telling me something."

He immersed himself in the force, achieving perfect serenity in order to decipher the Force's message. To his surprise it straightforward and brief. Just one word: _Dagobah._


	6. Chapter 6

**AN: Disregard completely Yoda's statement in the films about only using the Force defensively. I simply do not see the logic behind it. **

The Planet Dagobah was deep in the outer rim. Reachable by only sparse, obscure hyperlanes, the world was devoid of any form of civilization. Dagobah was a harsh, humid, swampy planet, mostly covered in shallow marshland, interspersed with stifling forests and caves. There were very few truly open bodies of water on the planet: the water supply was thinly invested throughout the planet's main habitat, swampland, although there were vast expanses of mud fields. Dagobah was home to many creatures, such as bogwings, dragonsnakes, nudj, sleens, vine snakes, and swamp slugs. Examples of flora included the Adder moss, the hassling, Gnarltree and Meat flower. Nature ruled supreme upon the surface of the world.

"Why are we here? This planet reeks of the dark side."

"I don't know, the force guided me here. It must have a reason."

"It's been 16 hours, I just want to get off this shuttle. It's just so cramped."

"This is designed for transporting Imperial dignitaries. It's really spacious compared to say stormtrooper transports."

"When you travel for this long, nothing's spacious."

"Claustrophobia. Just think of what I went over the last 18 years."

Padme laughed dryly.

"Remember our wedding vows. 'For better or for worse'."

"I know. We've both suffered greatly yet here we are, still together."

"You're worth suffering for Ani", she declared as pulled into each other for a deeply passionate kiss.

When they pulled apart Padme was surprised to see Anakin's expression darken slightly.

"What happened in those years Angel? What happened to you after I broke your heart?"

"It's hard for me Ani, but I'll try. I'll start at the beginning…"

_Padme Naberrie Amidala Skywalker was heartbroken. She was laden with sorrow and regret. The dark side had ripped her Ani away and denied her their children. She had let loose every huttese curse she had learnt form Anakin upon that vile man Palpatine. Anakin. Everything she did reminded her of him, once joyful memories now brought only pain. Pain naturally turned into bitterness, bitterness at the Jedi for ordering Anakin to spy on Palpatine. Bitterness at their damned code for forcing them to keep their love so secret that it destroyed them, Bitterness and anger towards herself. She hated herself now. She had called the vote that had put Palpatine in power. She had trusted him, she allowed herself to be manipulated by him. He had caused the Trade federation crisis, the Clone Wars and the death of democracy to thunderous applause. She had unknowingly started this process, convinced by Palpatine to turn against Valorum, one of her greatest supporters. So much for her being a champion of Freedom and Liberty. If only she could go back to that day in the Senate, if only… She regretted a lot of things, so many that she had begun to accept it all. After all, what could one more failing matter to the mountain of failure that was Padme Amidala?_

"_There is no use reminiscing on the past my daughter."_

"_Shmi? You must be…"_

"_Ani was deceived, as you all were."_

"_It's all my fault Shmi! I put Palpatine in power and he turned Ani into a monster!"_

"_It's not your fault. No one knew. You only did what you thought was for the greater good."_

"_But…"_

"_No buts Padme. I will not have you blame yourself for this. It was Palpatine and the Jedi. They were too arrogant and dedicated to their code that they failed to see what was right before their eyes. Obi-wan was one of the few Jedi that saw Anakin as a person rather than a tool. Qui-Gon was appalled at how far the order had fallen."_

"_Master Jinn?"_

"_Yes Padme, I am here." Qui-Gon shimmered before appearing fully. _

"_But all three of us, we're…"_

"_There is no death, there is only the Force."_

"_I'm not even Force-sensitive, I…"_

"_Padme, have you ever wondered why you were somehow linked to Anakin. How his feelings affected your own?"_

"_Well…"_

"_You're force sensitive Padme. It has a lot to do with why you died."_

"_What? How?"_

"_You're not a bad mother Padme. There's nothing you could have done. After you gave birth were you suddenly hit with a wave of intense pain?"_

"_Yes?! It was excruciating! How…"_

"_At that very moment Anakin was going through almost indescribable suffering. Not just physical but intense emotional pain. You two are bonded to each other by the force so as he was suffering you felt all of his pain, all his anguish, all his suffering. And in your weakened state you…"_

"_My body just couldn't deal with it anymore."_

"_Yes. After everything you went through, it was just too much."_

"_Master Jinn, I still feel pain everyday, not all of it my own. Does that mean…"_

"_Yes Padme. The man you love is still in there somewhere. He was never meant to be a Sith."_

"So after everything my mom and Qui-Gon still had faith in me."

"Yes, they were determined to redeem you even after the other Jedi believed you beyond help."

"You used the force to crush my bonds on the rebel flagship. Did Qui-Gon train you?"

"Yes, although to say I was challenging pupil is an understatement…"

"_I can't do it Qui-Gon! It's too hard!"_

"_You must! Anakin was willing to descend into Sith Hell for you! If you fail, you'll never save him!"_

"_I'm practically defined by my mistakes. Padme Amidala's life is effectively one big failure!'_

"_Then you must succeed in freeing Anakin from the grip of the dark side. Say I stop your training right now and you never save him from the darkness, what would you think of yourself?"_

"The training was brutal but through it I recovered my resolve and determination. I knew neither you nor I would never find peace as along as you were enslaved by the Sith, many decades of teachings and abilities in less than two. He taught me everything he knew. "

Anakin nodded solemnly. He knew first hand the harshness of training; there was many an occasion during his Padawan years under Obi-Wan that pushed him to the limits of endurance. The true depth of Padme's love for him and what she endured to save him also startled him. Her determination and strength of will was astonishing. She saved her planet from the trade federation, fought at Geonosis and gone through two decades of almost brutal training in order to save him from the dark side. _What did I ever do to deserve her? _His train of thought was interrupted as they entered Dagobah's atmosphere. The _Lambda_-class T-4a shuttle retracted its landing gear upon the surface of the planet.

"This place is unsettling, not just physically. The dark side suffocating my senses here." Padme said as they waded through a swamp.

"Something must be here Padme, I sense a presence. It's very faint and clouded by the Dark Side but it's there."

"Before we go anywhere, activate the tracker on the ship. We'll need a way out of here."

"Already done Angel. You needn't worry, we'll find our way back with no problems."

"You can never be too careful."

'I can't dent that."

After an hour of wading through the terrain and few unwanted encounters with local wildlife, Anakin sensed that they were close to the unknown presence. The closer they had gotten, they more brightly it shone. He concluded it was a very presence, strong enough to be a Jedi. _What would a Jedi be doing out here? At least something survived the purges. _Padme had sensed it too.They both realized the strategy being employed.

"Remarkable, their presence is clearly one of light."

"Yes, no wonder the Force sent you here."

"Exactly, whoever this is, they're hiding in plain sight."

"All the more tactile, I sense a very dark presence near it."

"No wonder they escaped the purges. This place is so steeped in the dark side that neither I nor the Emperor would think to look here, let alone be able find them on the surface."

"Who could it be?"

"We should work together and focus on the source."

They both directed their concentration onto the presence in order to see through the influence of the dark side that had lingered for millennia. What they found shocked Anakin.

"By the Force! No wonder they found no body, he must have been here all the time."

"I know, it's remarkable he survived. There's still hope yet."

"Not possible I thought, but controlling your darkness you are Skywalker."

Anakin whirled around to see the diminutive Jedi master staring at him. The former grand master's eyes betrayed a look of surprise as they gazed upon Padme.

"Unexpected this is Senator Amidala. Witnessed your passing all those years ago I did."

"To be honest Master Yoda I don't know myself. I was so happy to see Anakin become whole again that when we embraced he realized my form was solid once again. I guess anything is possible with the Force."

Yoda paused, deeply considering her words, before turning back to Anakin. Probing him with the force, Yoda sensed that Anakin's force signature was a pendulum of different emotions, under control yet still shifting between light and dark. Yoda realized that they had never interpreted the prophecy of the Chosen One correctly. Everyone had expected the Chosen one to adhere to the rules of the order and he code. They had all assumed that he would only serve the light and in this arrogance they had disregarded the fact that the dark side was part of the force as well. They had assumed that the will of the force reflected only the light and that the dark was corrupt and evil. In reality, through years of meditation and self-reflection in his exile on this planet, Yoda had learnt that balance did not mean destroying the Sith or the Dark side, such close-mindedness was what had caused the Order to stagnate and be destroyed in the first place. In reality the Force had been out of balance ever since the day the Jedi had forbidden the teaching of the Dark side. Over many generations, because no Jedi had been taught to use the dark side safely, many could not deal with its temptations, thus many fell completely and the Sith were born. That was the Order's greatest failure; fear does lead to hate and hate the dark side but by forbidding attachment and hoping to avoid such circumstances in the first place, the Jedi had inadvertently caused what they tried so hard to avoid. Nothing in life is defined by in terms of black and white; gray, the colour of true balance and neutrality had always been the true way of the force. There is no defence without attack, no order without chaos, no compassion without cruelty, no light without darkness. Yoda sighed; the Jedi order was destroyed for failing to realize this, in their arrogance they had had put their stringent beliefs above the will of the Force and had refused to adapt in an ever-hanging galaxy. He turned back to Anakin:

"Perhaps fated your fall was hmmn."

"Master?"

"Relative terms good and evil are. Blinded by our own arrogance we were? See that fact before our eyes we could not."

"You mean the true will the of the Force is the gray."

"The colour of balance it is. Misread the prophecy we did, assume light was the only path we did. Failed to teach the dark side safely we did, cost us gravely our arrogance did."

"Master, I remember on Mortis the Father told me that is my destiny to bring balance, to ensure neither light or dark conflict as too much of either would weaken the Force as a whole."

"Wise he was but still sense conflict within you I do. Before balance to the force, a perfect balance in your self you must find."

"You mean to master both aspects of the Force. If I recall my history, only one force adept has ever achieved this."

"Yes, achieved perfect balance within himself Revan did. Now follow in his footsteps you must. The Chosen One you are."

"How? I was never good at meditation or control."

"Basked by the Dark Side, this world is. Into the cave of darkness you must go and balance to this place you and yourself must bring. Face your demons you must."

"I will do what I must. Where is this cave?"

"Yes, into the cave both of you must venture."

"Both of us?"

"Yes, bonded with the force to Senator Amidala you are and she to you. Soul mates you are, face this together you must."

As they reached the location of the cave Anakin turned to Padme:

"Are you sure you want to this Angel? You might not be able to love me anymore after seeing what I had become."

"No Ani, it's not just your demons we're facing. This is a test that our love will endure; we have already been through hell in this relationship. Nothing can tear apart our love."

Steeling themselves, they entered the cave.

**AN: This was the hardest chapter to write so far. I think I really could've done better with this so any feedback positive or negative is welcome. **


	7. Chapter 7

The wind gushed in a violent howl as the 501st Legion systematically, marching in rhythm advanced ever closer to the Jedi temple. They would be relentless, efficient and ruthless. Hood draped over the head, the newly minted Dark Lord of the Sith wore a determined look defined by burning sulphuric eyes. _I will do anything for the person I love, my soul mate. The Jedi will never harm us again…_

It had seemed trivial, a small wave in an endless sea, a flicker of darkness in the force as if someone had died. Mundane and expected. People died every day; it was a natural part of existence. There had been death before and there would be death after, it seemed there was nothing out of the ordinary. In fact there was hope present, hope the Sith had been destroyed. _They are truly pathetic. Not even the death of 4 council members reached them. _The Dark Lord's face twisted into a wolfish smile. The dark side was it's strongest, there was death across the galaxy and there would be death on Coruscant right at it's heart. The temple now loomed large, the purge would soon begin. The Dark Lord contacted one of the many Venator-class Star Destroyers in orbit.

"Target the exits, ensure none escape. Fire mission danger close."

"Yes my lord, fire mission danger close", the admiral repeated.

The Dark Lord sensed shock and horror spreading through the many presences within the temple as the fools were caught reeling by the bombardment, sensing the initiative…

"The Jedi have betrayed us all, do your duty. For the Republic, for democracy!"

"Advance!"

With the Sith at it's head, the army of clones moved in a cold mechanical fashion, like a buzz saw towards the trapped Jedi within the temple. The Dark Lord was very pleased. Sidious was a fool; the archives were full of Holocrons, Jedi and Sith, hidden power from the time of Revan. _It will all be mine, it is time to claim the galaxy as my own. The Republic was a failed experiment of self-rule. The masses cannot have power; they need someone else's will forced upon them. My will._ The final steps leading to the entrance were now approaching and as they were conquered, the Dark Lord observed a shaken gate master Jurokk emerging from the entrance. The man looked upon the Sith with an expression of utter shock and before he could upon his mouth to speak, his windpipe had already been crushed. It had easy enough to invade his mind, to determine the location of the Temple commander.

"Thank you for your help Jurokk", the dark lord remarked sarcastically.

The incursion into the temple interior had gone smoothly enough. One audacious Jedi had challenged the Dark Lord and quickly became one with the force. The Sith had easily countered her clumsy Ataru strikes aimed at the chest with precision mastery of the blocking techniques of Soresu before luring the Jedi into a faint and lashing out with Djem So, completely destroying the girl. The clones had dealt with the rest with clinical efficiency. They were battle-hardened veterans of many campaigns whereas some of those Jedi were barely out of their teens. If not the war, they'd have been shipped off to the Service Corps. There was not an ounce of remorse in the Dark Lord's thoughts. _Their damned code makes them no better than animals, Tuskens. _ The Dark Lord smiled. Sidious had orchestrated the entire war ensured that the Order's best and brightest were either dead in battle or alone on the frontlines once the purge began. Turning to the nearest officer:

"Disperse through the temple, Torrent Company with me to the comm relay. Grab every Holocron you can find and transport them to my vault afterwards."

"Yes my lord."

The stairway leading to the summit and the beacon seemed clear until from nowhere a group of Padawans naively attempted to ambush them. The Dark Lord laughed at their foolishness and misplaced enthusiasm to defend their force-damned order. They like the others were pathetic, devoting their lives to an order that demanded that they not know love. Not a flicker of pity was felt, they were the future of this parasitic, arrogant group. The Sith Lord had nothing against them; in fact if they could be made to serve the dark they would be useful. Alas they were already in their late teens and completely indoctrinated in the ways of the Jedi, such a shocking waste of potential. The fight was brief. Force lightning blasted from the Dark Lord's fingers and instantly two were incinerated. The Jedi barely had any time to scream before they were entirely nothing more than charcoal. Another one had his windpipe shattered in an instant. The clones were also merciless, using their numbers to surround and isolated their attackers. Soon a group of Padawans became a collection of corpses strewn across the floors like garbage.

'The beacon is close, advance!"

Suddenly the Dark Lord was knocked back by blasts of cannon fire. Reeling, the Sith recognized Jedi interceptors strafing their positions. _Shit! I forgot about the Hangar. _Seeing several abandoned SAM turrets near their position the sith turned to three if the clone officers:

"Get to those SAM sites! Captain-that one! Lieutenant-that one! Sergeant-that one there! Follow me!"

Luckily by the time they made it to the guns, the interceptors were yet to begin another pass upon the exposed clone company.

"Here they come. Light them up!"

The Jedi did not know what had hit them; within moments almost a third of their force had been shot down, the Dark Lord's face contorted with glee as a missile gracefully flew through the air before slamming itself into the nearest Jedi interceptor. Soon the way was clear and the clones continued their advance. The Sith contacted the nearest officer:

"Give a signal for all Jedi to report back to the Temple. The war is over."

"Yes my lord."

"Leave a garrison at the beacon. Tell them to guard it with their lives."

"At once my lord."

The Dark Lord sensed something, a force signature brighter than all the other fools. Cin Drallig, the supposed Battle-master of the Temple. He's nothing more than a crippled old man, just like Sidious. Turning to the clones:

"I sense...Cin Drallig, I'll deal with him"

Heading into the room of a thousand fountains he spotted Cin killing one last remaining clone trooper. The Dark Lord wasted no time and leapt indenting to cut him in two, but missed as Cin jumped out of the way.

"I don't understand why you are doing this?" Cin asked as the two warriors circled one another. The Sith said nothing before charging again with incredible blows motivated by fury as Cin blocked or narrowly dodged each of them before kicking back. The Dark Lord stumbled back and blocked a strike from the battle master before going back to attacking him furiously, pushing him back as the two slowly moved out of the room. The Sith then used the force to hurl a large piece of rubble at Cin before it was sliced in two by him.

"My powers are far beyond you old man"

The Dark Lord attempted to force push Cin back, however Cin held his ground though blocking the powerful force push had tired him. The battle master then force pushed back, sending the Dark lord crashing into a wall, stunning the sith briefly.

"I'm going to teach you how to become one with the force!"Cin exclaimed before he charged towards the sith. He used the force to augment his speed and as he attacked. The sith ducked though and kicked back Cin before leaping and coming down with the saber to impale him, but missing as the saber struck the ground instead and he brought the weapon up just in time to block a strike from the jedi master.

The Jedi master was getting tired, but the Dark Lord just seemed to get stronger and as the fighting continued Cin was on the defensive more and more while being pushed back. Finally with a vicious flurry of Djem So, the Sith cut of the right of the battle master before unleashing a typhoon of Force lightning upon the Jedi. Master Drallig could do nothing but scream in agony has the dark lord used the force to systemically torture him. Finally, when the Sith's patience ran out, the intensity of the lightning increased ten fold completely disintegrating Drallig's corpse. The Force grew ever darker at the passing of the battle master. The Dark Lord's face developed a vicious smile as a call was coming in from the clones:

"We've surrounded pockets of resistance, shall we proceed."

"Show no mercy Commander."

"Yes Lord Sirenus"

The Dark Lord, lightsaber still ignited proceeded to the youngling quarters of the Temple. _Perhaps they could be turned. They would of upmost use to me. _As soon as the younglings saw the Dark lord's face beneath the hood, they were relieved, they could trust this person.

"Senator Amidala, there's too many of them. What are we going to do?"

Darth Sirenus froze. She did not know why. _What is this? Why is my body not moving? _Suddenly a life's worthy of memories poured into her head, filling her immediately with self-hatred and disgust. _How could I do this? I murdered like they were animals. _Tears were freely streaming down her eyes as she finally took it all in._ For so many years I was disgusted at Anakin for doing this, now I know I'm no better. _Dropping her lightsaber to the ground, Padme realized it was a test in the cave of darkness as the illusion ended around her.

AN: So what do you make of Padme as a Sith? Should I write a fic with her as a Dark Lord sometime in the future? Please feel free to share your thoughts in the reviews and may the Force be with you!

Update: I'm in the process of rewriting some of the earlier chapters as I think there is ma lit of room for improvement. I've already finished the first one; it's the sole reason for the relatively long delay. (And holidays of course!)


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